The HONGO Knight 2 portable monitor is a new, super lightweight 16.1” screen with a 1080p, 144Hz display that allows you to take your gaming on the go. I’ve never had a portable monitor like this before that is so thin and lightweight to where I feel like I could take it anywhere with me. With an MSRP of $159.99 on Amazon, the HONGO Knight 2 is a viable choice for those on a budget, especially in comparison to some of the other options out there like the ASUS ZenScreen which starts at $299.99. So how does this HONGO portable monitor stack up? Here’s our review of the HONGO 16.1” 144Hz Portable Gaming Monitor.
Specifications
- Screen Display Size: 16.1”
- Display Type: IPS LED
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
- Refresh Rate: 144 Hz
- HDR Support: Yes
- FreeSync Support: Yes
- Contrast Ratio: 1200:1
- Color Gamut: 16.7 million colors, 100% sRGB color mode
- Ports: 2 USB-C, 1 Mini-HDMI, 1 Micro-USB OTG
- Weight: 1.37 lbs without cover (620g), 2.35 lbs with cover (1,067g)
- Dimensions: 13.84 in x 9.36 in x 0.44 in
- MSRP: $159.99 on Amazon
What’s in the box!?
The HONGO portable monitor package includes the monitor itself, a hybrid detachable cover/stand with magnetic backing, one USB-C to USB-C 3.1cable, one USB-A to USB-C cable, one HDMI to Mini HDMI cable, a USB AC adapter, and a quick start guide. I appreciate that everything is included for what you would need to get started with this monitor. While I initially ignored the quick start guide at first, when I went back to skim through it I realized that one unique function of the monitor is that the USB-C ports are full-featured, which allow for power delivery and data transfer simultaneously. What this means is that for use with supported devices (i.e. laptops, Steam Deck, etc) you only have to connect one USB-C cable, and not the power supply as well.
Note: The first monitor I received had several dead pixels on the display in two different areas, but HONGO was willing to replace it with another one for the purposes of this review. The second monitor did not have this same issue, but we felt that it was worth sharing for the sake of transparency.
First Use and Initial Impressions
Upon receiving and unboxing the HONGO portable monitor, I immediately plugged it into the wall via the provided AC adapter and plugged the USB-C cable into my Nintendo Switch. At first, there was no image being displayed and the monitor would just go to sleep after a minute, but then I simply switched the ports on the side of the monitor and it worked perfectly. When I tried this again later, I didn’t have this same issue. What I think happened (which I would have known if I had read the quick start guide beforehand) is that the power supply seemingly needs to be plugged in first for the monitor to recognize devices that are plugged into it. This minor hiccup aside, the portable monitor worked perfectly on the Switch and I was playing Super Mario Odyssey (yes, I’m still playing that one) within seconds. There is a notable several-second delay between plugging in a device to when the image displays on-screen, but that’s to be expected with any monitor.
I’m always excited to try out new gadgets and tech out as soon as I get it, so I barely had time to inspect the HONGO monitor before plugging it in for the first time. After my initial playthrough on the Switch, I took a lot more time to study the monitor itself. First, it was really surprising to see how lightweight the monitor really was. It already felt pretty lightweight while in using the detachable cover, but once I took the cover off it was shocking to see the difference and how thin the monitor really is. The display itself measures about 0.2” thick, whereas the bottom third – where the ports are located – juts out a bit more at around 0.4”. The bezels surrounding the top and sides of the screen are only 0.15”, making it perfect as a near-borderless display for a secondary monitor. There are 2 USB-C ports and a Mini HDMI port on the left side, and a Mini USB OTG port, the power button, menu control button, and headphone jack located on the right.
The front and sides of the monitor are smooth plastic, whereas the backside has brushed metal plates that give the HONGO portable monitor a high-quality feel and aesthetic. Additionally, the HONGO sports two stereo speakers that are also located on the back. That said, the majority of my daily use with the monitor was while it was in its detachable cover. The cover itself has a black faux leather exterior and a grippy diamond-textured rubber interior. The magnetic part of the case is relegated to the top third, which correlates to the top third of the monitor. I tried sticking it to other parts of the monitor, but there was no other magnetized section that it would work on. This is perfectly fine, as you probably wouldn’t want – or need – the entirety of the monitor to be magnetic anyways. When using the case, there are two grooved areas where the bottom of the monitor can sit for different viewing angles, which works well enough. Because of the textured inside, the monitor can sit almost at any angle albeit not as securely against the occasional bumps or thuds against whatever it’s placed upon.
OSD Menu Navigation
The side OSD menu button brings up an on-screen display that’s fairly intuitive to navigate. The menu options include brightness settings, image aspect options, color temperature settings, OSD settings, a reset all options, and a miscellaneous tab (which allows for volume, FreeSync, low blue light settings, and signal source). I didn’t feel the need to adjust the color settings at all, and the default factory settings worked perfectly. The brightness settings are where I spent most of my time tweaking, as that’s where you can adjust the HDR settings as well as brightness and contrast. The factory settings have a brightness level of 5, which was too dark for my taste. So the first thing I did was bump it up all the way to 10, making the colors look richer.
It also features four pre-set ECO modes: Standard, Text, Game, and Movie depending on your usage. Funny enough, I found that the Movie preset looked the best whereas the Game setting made everything appear grey and washed out. For a portable monitor advertised specifically for gaming, as opposed to work or office use, this seems like an entirely unusable mode. Unfortunately, when using anything other than Standard, the other options are locked. So you can't adjust brightness or turn on HDR while in these other ECO modes. There is also a DCR option, or Dynamic Contrast Ratio, that automatically adjusts brightness settings based on the input signal. I found this to work best for the majority of devices, although it also doesn’t allow for turning HDR on or adjusting the brightness in this mode.
The HDR on the HONGO portable monitor seems passable, although I wasn't able to find out definitively what the rating was or even what the peak brightness levels are on it. HONGO themselves don't list any information on the product listing outside of "features HDR rendering technology." This means while it may be HDR Enabled that it isn't certifiable with a VESA DisplayHDR rating. My best guess for the peak brightness is around 300 nits. So while it does feature HDR with increased vibrancy, it won't do much to affect the dynamic range.
On the Laptop
On the laptop, it works perfectly as a second screen. Although admittedly, it was a bit cumbersome having so many wires placed about. Due to the placement of the ports on my laptop, which is a harp against my laptop and not the monitor, it was a bit awkward to use. The HDMI port is located on the right of my laptop (which is just a bad design decision since it interferes with the placement of a mouse) so I had to wrap the cable around the back of my laptop in order to use the monitor on my left side (which is preferred anyways since if it was on the right, it too would interfere with my mouse). This is less of an issue if you are just using a laptop’s mouse pad instead of an external mouse.
Since the USB-C ports support full-featured devices however, I was able to plug just a USB-C cable between the laptop and monitor instead of having to utilize the HDMI cable provided. Unfortunately, this is a moot boon for my laptop specifically as its USB-C port is also located on the right side. I probably just need a new laptop at this point. Regardless, once the monitor was plugged into my laptop, I was able to use it as a secondary screen easily.
While the HONGO monitor advertises itself as capable in either landscape or portrait modes, by itself this just isn’t realistic. Since both the USB-C and Mini HDMI ports are located on the left side, this leaves you with having to stand the monitor up on its right – which is where both the menu and power buttons are located. When I tried to use the portable monitor in portrait mode, this meant that the display menu would occasionally pop up or, worse still, the monitor could randomly turn off if the power button was pushed down. To mitigate this, there are display stands that you can buy for tablets and small displays, but that’s an extra expense that has fewer use scenarios than I would require. However, if that’s what you require for your setup it’s not impossible to use in this manner.
On the Desktop
While most of the sentiments are shared across both laptop and PC, some of the issues with using it on my laptop are mitigated with a PC setup. I personally found the HONGO portable monitor to be a perfect stationary monitor at my desk. This might defeat the purpose of it being a ‘portable’ monitor, but the screen and display quality are so good that I always wanted to keep it next to me when I did the majority of my gaming. I could play Diablo IV on my ultrawide, and keep a build guide or world map up on the portable monitor for quick reference. It also has the perfect functionality to use as either a chat or stream monitor for keeping OBS up during live streams as well. I used it to watch other streamers during gameplay, or for keeping YouTube up and visible instead of in the background like I usually would.
When playing more competitive games, like Call of Duty: Warzone or PUBG, the display’s 144Hz refresh rate is actually higher than my main monitor. So it can become a fantastic switch-up when I’m playing different games outside my usual MMOs and ARPGs. My ultrawide monitor also doesn’t have HDR (I know, I need to upgrade it), so it was neat to check out other titles, such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Elden Ring, to see what I’ve been missing out on this whole time. Unfortunately in my actual testing, I found that my ultrawide monitor still looked better overall even without HDR. I also used the HONGO to play smaller titles and indie games on the down-low while I have schoolwork or articles to write (like this one) up on my much bigger ultrawide, so it looks like I’m being more productive than I actually am whenever my wife pops in to see what I’m doing (just working on school, honey!). This portable monitor is probably going to stay as a staple at my desk from now on unless, if only as a secondary tasking monitor.
On the Steam Deck
This is personally where I consider the HONGO portable monitor to really shine, at least in my use scenarios. In a near-perfect fusion of functionalities, the HONGO portable monitor is a perfect companion to the Steam Deck. My main gripe on the Steam Deck is how abysmal the built-in screen is for certain games where the text becomes near-illegible due to how small it displays. However, this issue is (at least partially) fixed when using the portable monitor as a primary screen for the handheld.
Unfortunately during my testing, the Deck itself didn’t recognize the HONGO as a proper display like it would a PC monitor. This means that despite the HONGO having a 1080p display, games will still render at only a maximum 1280x800 resolution. The particular games I tested included Death Stranding, Diablo IV, Minecraft, and Last Epoch which all locked me in at either 800p or 720p. While this was still perfectly fine and playable, the lower resolution on a larger screen made jagged edges and low-resolution text all the more noticeable.
One huge quality-of-life feature for Steam Deck is that it does support a full-featured USB-C connection, so you can simply plug it into the monitor with the USB-C cable and you’ve essentially got yourself a little 16” gaming laptop. It is awkward to use the Steam Deck as a controller when plugged in this way, but it becomes much more manageable if you pair a Bluetooth controller, such as the PS5’s DualSense controller, in order to play wirelessly. Honestly, I consider using a portable monitor with the Steam Deck to be the best way to play. For every future trip where I take along my Steam Deck, the HONGO portable monitor is now going to come along for the ride automatically.
Final Thoughts
While I don’t have another portable monitor to compare the HONGO to, my first impressions of it are favorable. If you simply want a second monitor to use for your laptop or PC setup, there are other, cheaper alternatives such as a regular desktop monitor. However, the HONGO allows for the flexibility to take your gaming on the go as well as increase productivity (or, in my case, detract from it) when paired with a PC. I like how extremely portable and how lightweight it is to where I can simply grab it and go without worrying about cable management a whole bunch. I found that the LED display was bright and offered a good color gamut, even if the HDR is a little lacking. Even still, there aren't a lot of other options for portable monitors out there with this feature set and at this price. If you’re looking for a portable display to tackle an eclectic range of uses, the HONGO 16.1” 144Hz 1080p monitor is a pretty solid recommendation.
